diff --git a/examples/python/model-chat.py b/examples/python/model-chat.py
index 12fb18a44..6068d7524 100644
--- a/examples/python/model-chat.py
+++ b/examples/python/model-chat.py
@@ -29,24 +29,38 @@ def main(args):
     search_options['batch_size'] = 1
 
     if args.verbose: print(search_options)
+
+    # Get model type
+    model_type = None
+    if hasattr(model, "type"):
+        model_type = model.type
+    else:
+        import json, os
+
+        with open(os.path.join(args.model_path, "genai_config.json"), "r") as f:
+            genai_config = json.load(f)
+            model_type = genai_config["model"]["type"]
     
+    # Set chat template
     if args.chat_template:
         if args.chat_template.count('{') != 1 or args.chat_template.count('}') != 1:
             raise ValueError("Chat template must have exactly one pair of curly braces with input word in it, e.g. '<|user|>\n{input} <|end|>\n<|assistant|>'")
     else:
-        if model.type.startswith("phi2") or model.type.startswith("phi3"):
+        if model_type.startswith("phi2") or model_type.startswith("phi3"):
             args.chat_template = '<|user|>\n{input} <|end|>\n<|assistant|>'
-        elif model.type.startswith("phi4"):
+        elif model_type.startswith("phi4"):
             args.chat_template = '<|im_start|>user<|im_sep|>\n{input}<|im_end|>\n<|im_start|>assistant<|im_sep|>'
-        elif model.type.startswith("llama3"):
+        elif model_type.startswith("llama3"):
             args.chat_template = '<|start_header_id|>user<|end_header_id|>\n{input}<|eot_id|><|start_header_id|>assistant<|end_header_id|>'
-        elif model.type.startswith("llama2"):
+        elif model_type.startswith("llama2"):
             args.chat_template = '<s>{input}'
+        elif model_type.startswith("qwen2"):
+            args.chat_template = '<|im_start|>user\n{input}<|im_end|>\n<|im_start|>assistant\n'
         else:
-            raise ValueError(f"Chat Template for model type {model.type} is not known. Please provide chat template using --chat_template")
+            raise ValueError(f"Chat Template for model type {model_type} is not known. Please provide chat template using --chat_template")
 
     if args.verbose:
-        print("Model type is:", model.type)
+        print("Model type is:", model_type)
         print("Chat Template is:", args.chat_template)
 
     params = og.GeneratorParams(model)
@@ -55,16 +69,22 @@ def main(args):
     if args.verbose: print("Generator created")
 
     # Set system prompt
-    if model.type.startswith('phi2') or model.type.startswith('phi3'):
-        system_prompt = f"<|system|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|end|>"
-    elif model.type.startswith('phi4'):
-        system_prompt = f"<|im_start|>system<|im_sep|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|im_end|>"
-    elif model.type.startswith("llama3"):
-        system_prompt = f"<|begin_of_text|><|start_header_id|>system<|end_header_id|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|eot_id|>"
-    elif model.type.startswith("llama2"):
-        system_prompt = f"<s>[INST] <<SYS>>\n{args.system_prompt}\n<</SYS>>"
-    else:
+    if "<|" in args.system_prompt and "|>" in args.system_prompt:
+        # User-provided system template already has tags
         system_prompt = args.system_prompt
+    else:
+        if model_type.startswith('phi2') or model_type.startswith('phi3'):
+            system_prompt = f"<|system|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|end|>"
+        elif model_type.startswith('phi4'):
+            system_prompt = f"<|im_start|>system<|im_sep|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|im_end|>"
+        elif model_type.startswith("llama3"):
+            system_prompt = f"<|begin_of_text|><|start_header_id|>system<|end_header_id|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|eot_id|>"
+        elif model_type.startswith("llama2"):
+            system_prompt = f"<s>[INST] <<SYS>>\n{args.system_prompt}\n<</SYS>>"
+        elif model_type.startswith("qwen2"):
+            system_prompt = f"<|im_start|>system\n{args.system_prompt}<|im_end|>\n"
+        else:
+            system_prompt = args.system_prompt
 
     system_tokens = tokenizer.encode(system_prompt)
     generator.append_tokens(system_tokens)
@@ -79,11 +99,7 @@ def main(args):
 
         if args.timings: started_timestamp = time.time()
 
-        # If there is a chat template, use it
-        prompt = text
-        if args.chat_template:
-            prompt = f'{args.chat_template.format(input=text)}'
-
+        prompt = f'{args.chat_template.format(input=text)}'
         input_tokens = tokenizer.encode(prompt)
         
         generator.append_tokens(input_tokens)
diff --git a/examples/python/model-qa.py b/examples/python/model-qa.py
index 5e639ef2b..e5e449a77 100644
--- a/examples/python/model-qa.py
+++ b/examples/python/model-qa.py
@@ -26,37 +26,57 @@ def main(args):
     search_options['batch_size'] = 1
 
     if args.verbose: print(search_options)
+
+    # Get model type
+    model_type = None
+    if hasattr(model, "type"):
+        model_type = model.type
+    else:
+        import json, os
+
+        with open(os.path.join(args.model_path, "genai_config.json"), "r") as f:
+            genai_config = json.load(f)
+            model_type = genai_config["model"]["type"]
     
+    # Set chat template
     if args.chat_template:
         if args.chat_template.count('{') != 1 or args.chat_template.count('}') != 1:
             raise ValueError("Chat template must have exactly one pair of curly braces with input word in it, e.g. '<|user|>\n{input} <|end|>\n<|assistant|>'")
     else:
-        if model.type.startswith("phi2") or model.type.startswith("phi3"):
+        if model_type.startswith("phi2") or model_type.startswith("phi3"):
             args.chat_template = '<|user|>\n{input} <|end|>\n<|assistant|>'
-        elif model.type.startswith("phi4"):
+        elif model_type.startswith("phi4"):
             args.chat_template = '<|im_start|>user<|im_sep|>\n{input}<|im_end|>\n<|im_start|>assistant<|im_sep|>'
-        elif model.type.startswith("llama3"):
+        elif model_type.startswith("llama3"):
             args.chat_template = '<|start_header_id|>user<|end_header_id|>\n{input}<|eot_id|><|start_header_id|>assistant<|end_header_id|>'
-        elif model.type.startswith("llama2"):
+        elif model_type.startswith("llama2"):
             args.chat_template = '<s>{input}'
+        elif model_type.startswith("qwen2"):
+            args.chat_template = '<|im_start|>user\n{input}<|im_end|>\n<|im_start|>assistant\n'
         else:
-            raise ValueError(f"Chat Template for model type {model.type} is not known. Please provide chat template using --chat_template")
+            raise ValueError(f"Chat Template for model type {model_type} is not known. Please provide chat template using --chat_template")
 
     params = og.GeneratorParams(model)
     params.set_search_options(**search_options)
     generator = og.Generator(model, params)
 
     # Set system prompt
-    if model.type.startswith('phi2') or model.type.startswith('phi3'):
-        system_prompt = f"<|system|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|end|>"
-    elif model.type.startswith('phi4'):
-        system_prompt = f"<|im_start|>system<|im_sep|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|im_end|>"
-    elif model.type.startswith("llama3"):
-        system_prompt = f"<|begin_of_text|><|start_header_id|>system<|end_header_id|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|eot_id|>"
-    elif model.type.startswith("llama2"):
-        system_prompt = f"<s>[INST] <<SYS>>\n{args.system_prompt}\n<</SYS>>"
-    else:
+    if "<|" in args.system_prompt and "|>" in args.system_prompt:
+        # User-provided system template already has tags
         system_prompt = args.system_prompt
+    else:
+        if model_type.startswith('phi2') or model_type.startswith('phi3'):
+            system_prompt = f"<|system|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|end|>"
+        elif model_type.startswith('phi4'):
+            system_prompt = f"<|im_start|>system<|im_sep|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|im_end|>"
+        elif model_type.startswith("llama3"):
+            system_prompt = f"<|begin_of_text|><|start_header_id|>system<|end_header_id|>\n{args.system_prompt}<|eot_id|>"
+        elif model_type.startswith("llama2"):
+            system_prompt = f"<s>[INST] <<SYS>>\n{args.system_prompt}\n<</SYS>>"
+        elif model_type.startswith("qwen2"):
+            system_prompt = f"<|im_start|>system\n{args.system_prompt}<|im_end|>\n"
+        else:
+            system_prompt = args.system_prompt
 
     system_tokens = tokenizer.encode(system_prompt)
     generator.append_tokens(system_tokens)
@@ -71,11 +91,7 @@ def main(args):
 
         if args.timings: started_timestamp = time.time()
 
-        # If there is a chat template, use it
-        prompt = text
-        if args.chat_template:
-            prompt = f'{args.chat_template.format(input=text)}'
-
+        prompt = f'{args.chat_template.format(input=text)}'
         input_tokens = tokenizer.encode(prompt)
         
         generator.append_tokens(input_tokens)